Airbus faces engine supply challenges as it strives toward ambitious delivery target

With approximately 430-440 planes delivered so far this year—depending on final August figures—Airbus will need to deliver nearly 100 aircraft per month through December to meet its annual target. This level of production would be difficult even under optimal conditions and mirrors the company's position last year when it did not achieve such high output.

Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, told Reuters that September will be decisive for reaching the annual goal. In July, after announcing first-half results for 2025, Faury stated:

“We are producing aircraft in line with our plans but deliveries are backloaded as we face persistent engine supply issues on the A320 programme. The operating environment is complex and fast-changing. On tariffs, the recent political agreement between the EU and the US to revert to a zero-tariff approach for civil aircraft is a welcome development for our industry. Our 2025 guidance, which continues to exclude the impact of tariffs, remains unchanged.”

This year's performance marks an improvement over last year; while August’s finalized tally may miss internal targets, Airbus delivered only 47 jets in August 2024—a figure surpassed by more than 20% this year. Recent deliveries were distributed among customers including Etihad Airways, Malaysia Airlines, and IndiGo in the Indo-Pacific region. The last delivery in August was an A320neo handed over to Transavia France.

In July 2025 alone, Airbus recorded 67 deliveries to 41 customers and received seven gross orders for new planes. By the end of June (Q2), total deliveries reached 373 units across 72 customers.

Despite ongoing supply chain disruptions and trade-related complications affecting production rates at both Airbus and Boeing https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/29/boeing-deliveries-august.html, Airbus has consistently led Boeing throughout this year. According to CNBC reporting https://www.cnbc.com/2025/08/29/boeing-deliveries-august.html, Boeing delivered about 40 commercial airplanes in August—five more than last year but still behind Airbus’s pace.

At July’s close, Boeing trailed Airbus by about 20%. Production limits imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration continue to cap output of key models like the Boeing 737 MAX series despite requests from Boeing for adjustments as certification nears completion on additional variants.

Boeing also faces labor uncertainty: up to 32,000 employees could strike as soon as September 5 if negotiations fail. Such action would halt production at Boeing and could further widen Airbus’s lead regardless of whether it meets its own annual goals.